Head rest for x-ray machines



March 21, 1939. I 1 M, NEELY 2,151,224

HEAD REST FOR X-RAY MACHINES PI.1 /0\ 1 PI.2

INVENTOR.

BY J/Mxs/mu W550. I afkw-o-o-X Via ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEAD REST FOR X-RAY MACHINES John Marshall Neely, Lincoln, Nebr.

Application October 4, 1937, Serial No. 167,187

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a head rest to be applied to the usual mask used in the X-raying of the sinuses.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a support or head rest for holding the head of the patient in position and insuring immovability during the process of X-raying the sinuses.

The main difiiculty in X-raying the sinuses resides in the involuntary movement or motion of the patients head as well as the maintenance of the head in a predetermined position with respect to the exposure. To overcome this difficulty is the purpose of this invention by providing a suitable head rest which not only facilitates the predetermined position of the patients head with respect to the exposure but assists the patient in comfortably retaining the immovability required. This is accomplished by providing suitably arranged mouth-bites such that the patient may grip the bite between the jaws, thereby retaining a set position and irmnovability. Said mouth-bites may be in the form of properly positioned horizontal bars fixedly mounted upon the usual lead mask and positioned 35 with respect to the exposure so as to permit of the nose-chin or Waters position or the noseforehead or Caldwell position. In the latter position, the frontal sinuses, ethmoid sinuses and sphenoid sinuses are X-rayed. In the former 30 position, the maxillary sinuses are X-rayed.

The head rest is also adaptable to support the head for study or X-ray of the mastoid by removing the horizontal bars providing the mouthbite and substituting therefor '21. mouth-bite ex- 35 tending perpendicular to the mask and adjustable with respect to the exposure.

Other objects and features of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and 0 claims:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the mask showing the horizontal mouth-bites for X-raying the sinuses. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the (5 adjustable mouth-bite for the mastoid X-ray.

In the drawing there is illustrated the usual mask or plate I II consisting of a thin sheet of lead held between two supporting plates and contained within a frame mountable upon the 0 X-ray machine in the usual manner. Said mask is provided with a pair of apertures II through which the X-ray exposure is made. Said apertures II are adapted to be covered by a removable cover plate I2 provided with a handle l5 l3 for conveniently handling the same.

The head rest is in the form of a mouth-bite comprising horizontal bars I4 and I5. The bars are preferably formed of bakelite or any other suitable material about which a hygienic wrapper may be placed and are so spaced forwardly from 5 the mask as to permit the patient to grip the bar firmly between the jaws facing the mask. When it is desired to position the patients head in the nose-forehead or Caldwell position for X-raying the frontal sinuses, ethmoid sinuses and sphenoid l0 sinuses the patient grips the lower bar I5, bringing the nose and forehead into proper position for exposure with respect to the aperture II through which the film is exposed. For positioning and holding the patients head in the 15 nose-chin or Waters position for X-raying the maxillary sinuses, the upper bar I4 is firmly gripped between the jaws. Depending upon the particular bar or mouth-bite gripped by the patient, the corresponding aperture II is opened 20 by removal of cover I2 while the other aperture is closed thereby. This permits of exposure in both positions, first through one aperture and then through the other.

The bars I4 and I5 are removably supported upon the standards I6 so as to be readily removed therefrom, said standards being removably secured by screwing the same into the holes provided for that purpose, indicated at I! and I8 in Fig. 3. Thus, the standards I6 for supporting the bar I4 are removably secured in the threaded openings I! while the standards I6 for removably supporting the bar I5 are screw threaded into holes I8.

For mastoid X-ray work, the head is placed laterally or on the side with respect to the mask and the perpendicular or outwardly extending bar or mouth-bite is provided in place of the horizontal bars I4 and I5 above described. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the bars I4 and I5 having been removed, there is removably and pivotally mounted near the upper edge of the mask and centrally thereof, as indicated at I9, a down- Wardly extending arm 20. Said arm 20 is provided with a plurality of openings 2| slightly spaced apart, the series of which extend substantially the full length thereof. Removably secured to the arm 2!! and adjustably mounted with respect thereto within the openings 2| there is provided an outwardly extending bar or mouth-bite 22. The position of the bar 22 is such that when gripped between the patients jaws the side of the head or cheek lies against one or the other aperture II in proper position for exposure in X-raying the mastoid. The vertical positioning of the patients head is obtained by lowering or raising the bar 22 through its support in one of the holes 2!. The lateral positioning of the patients head is obtained through the swinging movement of the arm 2!! about its pivotal mounting and the fixing thereof in such position through a thumb screw. Thus the de sired positioning and immovability of the head for the side or mastoid position is obtained with the face in one direction by adjustment of the mouth-bite 22 in one position with respect to one of the apertures i i, while the other side of the face is positioned with the arm 20 swung to the other side of its pivotal mounting positioned with respect to the other aperture I I.

As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the relative position of the mask or plate Ill with respect to the head of the patient and the X-ray tube, not shown, is such as to expose the film to the X-rays passing through the patients head. Thus, the film is positioned within the apertures H of the plate it while the X-ray tube will be positioned on the opposite side of the patients head therefrom so as to direct the rays through the patients head to the film.

The invention claimed is:

1. A head rest for an X-ray machine, in combination with a mask plate provided with an ex posure aperture therein, of a mouth-bite supported upon said plate in position to be gripped between the patients jaws to position the patients head with respect to said aperture and support it in immobile position during the X-ray exposure, said mouth-bite comprising a removably mounted horizontally extending bar spaced from the surface of the mask plate and positioned with respect to said aperture for supporting and positioning the patients head for X-raying the sinuses.

2. A head rest for an X-ray machine, in combination with a mask plate provided with an exposure aperture therein, of a mouth-bite supported upon said plate in position to be gripped between the patients jaws to position the patients head with respect to said aperture and support it in immobile position during the X-ray exposure, said mouth-bite being in the form of a bar extending outwardly from and perpendicular to said mask plate, and an adjustable support for positioning'said bar with respect to said aperture for supporting the patients head in position to expose the side thereof for a mastoid X-ray.

3. A head rest for an X-ray machine, in combination with a mask plate provided with an exposure aperture therein, of a mouth-bite supported upon said plate in position to be gripped between the patients jaws to position the patients head with respect to said aperture and support it in immobile position during the X-ray exposure, said mouth-bite being in the form of a bar extending outwardly from and perpendicular to said mask plate, a supporting arm pivotally mounted upon said mask plate for positioning said bar with respect to said aperture for supporting the patients head in position to expose the side thereof for a mastoid X-ray, and means for locking said arm against pivotal movement.

JOHN MARSHALL NEELY. 

